Side guide for a rolling train

ABSTRACT

A side guide for a rolling train has a band element and a transverse force device attached to the band element. The band element is designed for the at least partial lateral delimitation of a transporting path of the rolling train along a longitudinal axis of the band element. The transverse force device has a force generating unit for generating a transverse force orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band element and a force transmitting unit, coupled to the force generating unit, for transmitting the transverse force to a rolled product led through the rolling train.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and hereby claims priority to International Application No. PCT/EP2013/058494 filed on Apr. 24, 2013 and European Application No. 12168684.4 filed on May 21, 2012, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a side guide for a rolling train and a rolling train having at least one side guide.

In rolling mills rolled products, for example slabs, are rolled in so-called rolling trains, to form bands of material or sheets of a particular thickness. To this end rolling trains have roll stands, in which the rolled products are guided through roll gaps between rollers. Rolling trains frequently additionally have side guides for the lateral guidance of the rolled products along the rolling trains.

DE 3116278 A1 discloses a device for controlling the position of a band run during rolling, wherein rigid side guides and bending beams attached thereto are provided next to the band. Arranged at one end of each bending beam is a roller for creating a band edge, which interacts with sensors referencing the position of the band edge, said sensors controlling organs which optionally influence one of the two sides of the band and alter the lateral position of the band.

JP 59229209 A discloses a method for rolling a rolled product, in which a rolling oil is sprayed onto a surface of a roller which is in contact with an edge region of the rolled product.

SUMMARY

One possible object is to specify an improved side guide for a rolling train and an improved rolling train, in particular for processing asymmetrical rolled products.

The inventors propose a side guide for a rolling train, which comprises a band element and a transverse force device attached to the band element. The band element is designed for the at least partial lateral delimitation of a transporting path of the rolling train along a longitudinal axis of the band element. The transverse force device has a force generating unit for generating a transverse force orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band element and a force transmitting unit coupled to the force generating unit for transmitting the transverse force to a rolled product guided through the rolling train.

A side guide of this type enables a transverse force to be exerted on a rolled product at a defined location by the transverse force device. This means a torque exerted on the rolled product by the transverse force and a resulting load spread can be influenced and adjusted very precisely in a roll gap of a roll stand. In particular this enables, by the side guide or its transverse force device, a rolled product which is asymmetrical in respect of its thickness and/or width to be processed, so that the asymmetry is eliminated or reduced, as is explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment. The proposed side guide thus permits targeted generation and transmission of a transverse force to a rolled product, in particular for reducing an asymmetry of the rolled product.

Compressive devices for reducing the width of rolled products and whole (heavy) side guides are known from the related art for applying a transverse forced to a rolled product. However, because of their dimensions, compressive devices are relatively far away from the roll gaps of roll stands, so that no transverse forces can be exerted by compressive devices on relatively large portions of rolled products. A transverse force device of the side guide can be placed nearer to a roll gap of a roll stand than a compressive device and hence can exert a transverse force that acts on a larger portion of a rolled product than a compressive device. The generation of a transverse force by an entire side guide has the disadvantage that the transverse force in this case is transmitted only over a large area and not at a defined pointed, so that in contrast to the proposed force transmission by a transverse force device of a side guide the torque exerted by the transverse force and the load spread generated are not precisely known.

In a preferred embodiment the force transmitting unit is a roller with a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band element and to the direction of the transverse force. The roller is further preferably mounted so as to rotate about its longitudinal axis.

This type of roller is particularly suitable as a force transmitting unit, since it is a particularly simple, low-cost and efficient way to transmit a transverse force to a rolled product.

The force generating unit is preferably a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder acting on the force transmitting unit or a mechanically-electrically driven screw acting on the force transmitting unit.

All these force generating units advantageously enable a transverse force to be controlled and precisely generated, and to be transmitted to a force transmitting unit.

In a further preferred embodiment the side guide has a drive device for displacing the band element parallel to the transverse force.

This means the transverse force device can be moved up to the rolled product, in that large movements of the transverse force device are effected by displacement of the band element and the force transmitting unit only needs to be moved by the force generating unit a relatively short distance to the rolled product. This enables the dimensions of the transverse force device to be kept relatively small. This firstly has the advantage that the transverse force device can be disposed relatively near to the roll gap of a roll stand. Secondly it advantageously reduces material, effort and costs for manufacturing the transverse force device.

Furthermore, the side guide preferably has a braking device, by which it is possible to block a displacement of the band element parallel to the transverse force.

This advantageously enables the position of the band element to be fixed during the transmission of the transverse force to the rolled product, as a result of which advantageously the transmission of the transverse force generated by the transverse force device to the rolled product is improved.

The inventors also propose a rolling train, which comprises a transporting path for transporting a rolled product, at least one roll stand and at least one proposed side guide. In this case each such side guide is disposed laterally to the transporting path, so that the band element of the side guide delimits the transporting path at least in part laterally along a longitudinal axis of the band element and the transverse force device exerts a transverse force on the rolled product.

A rolling train such as this enables a rolled product to be processed by the proposed side guide with the advantages already mentioned above.

Each transverse force device of a side guide is in this case preferably disposed at an end section of the respective side guide, which end section faces an adjacent roll stand.

This means the distances between the transverse force devices and the roll gaps of the roll stands are advantageously reduced, so that the transverse forces generated by the transverse force devices can act on the largest possible regions of a rolled product.

In one embodiment a rolling train has at least two pairs of side guides, wherein both the side guides of each pair are disposed on different sides of the transporting path and both the pairs are disposed on different sides of a roll stand.

An arrangement such as this enables transverse forces to be exerted on a rolled product both upstream and downstream of a roll stand and on each side of the rolling train, and thus enable the transverse forces to be generated particularly flexibly.

In another embodiment the rolling train has a compressive device for reducing a width of the rolled product and each side guide is disposed on a side of a roll stand facing away from the compressive device.

This embodiment takes into account that in the case of rolling trains having compressive devices an arrangement of the proposed side guide between a compressive device and a roll stand is not expedient, since as a result the effect of the compressive device and/or of the side guide is lessened.

Another embodiment provides for all side guides to be disposed on the same side of the transporting path.

This embodiment is advantageous if the rolled products can be presorted before entry into the rolling train such that a transverse force is necessary only on one side of the rolling train. This means that in particular the number of transverse force devices required can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a plan view of a section of a rolling train, through which a rolled product is guided, and

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a rolled product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Parts corresponding to one another are provided with the same reference characters in the figures.

FIG. 1 schematically shows in a plan view a section of a rolling train 1 having a roll stand 2, a compressive device 3 and side guides 4, 5, 6, 7. Also depicted is a rolled product 8, which is guided, in a rolling direction indicated by an arrow, by way of a transporting path of the rolling train 1 through the rolling train 1 and is thereby rolled. The rolling direction defines an X-direction of a Cartesian coordinates system with Cartesian coordinates X, Y, Z. The Y-direction of this coordinates system runs in the drawing plane of FIG. 1 orthogonally to the X-direction; the Z-direction is perpendicular to this drawing plane.

The compressive device 3 comprises two edging rollers 3.1, which are disposed opposite one another on different sides of the transporting path, each having a longitudinal axis running in the Z-direction and being mounted so as to rotate about this longitudinal axis. At least one of the edging rollers 3.1 can be displaced in the Y-direction, so that its external surface can be moved up to the rolled product 8. Thanks to the compressive device 3 a width of the rolled product 8, i.e. an extension of the rolled product 8 in the Y-direction, can be reduced. In addition the rolled product 8 can be oriented and guided in the Y-direction by the compressive device 3.

The roll stand 2 comprises at least two rollers 2.1 disposed above one another, each of which has a longitudinal axis running in the Y-direction and is mounted so as to rotate about this longitudinal axis. The rollers 2.1 are spaced apart from one another by a displaceable roll gap, through which the rolled product 8 is guided to reduce its thickness, wherein the thickness of the rolled product 8 is its extension in the Z-direction. The roll stand 2 is located downstream of the compressive device 3, wherein the position indicators “upstream” and “downstream” here and in what follows relate to the arrangement along the rolling direction.

The side guides 4, 5, 6, 7 each have a band element 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 for the partial lateral delimitation of the transporting path along a longitudinal axis, running in the X-direction, of the respective band element 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1. A first side guide 4 and a second side guide 5 are disposed upstream of the compressive device 3 opposite one another on different sides of the transporting path. A third side guide 6 and a fourth side guide 7 are disposed downstream of the roll stand 2 opposite one another on different sides of the transporting path.

The fourth side guide 7 has, attached to its band element 7.1, a transverse force device 9 having a force generating unit 9.1 and a force transmitting unit 9.2. The force generating unit 9.1 is designed as a hydraulic cylinder. The force transmitting unit 9.2 is designed as a roller with a longitudinal axis running in the Z-direction, about which the roller is rotatably mounted. By the hydraulic cylinder a transverse force can be exerted on the roller, which acts parallel to the Y-direction and by which the roller can be pressed laterally onto the rolled product 8, so that the roller transmits the transverse force onto the rolled product 8. Thanks to the transverse force asymmetries of the rolled product 8 can in particular be corrected, as is further explained below.

The fourth side guide 7 further has a drive device (not shown) for displacing its band element 7.1 parallel to the transverse force. This means the transverse force device 9 can be moved up to the rolled product 8, in that large movements of the transverse force device 9 are effected by displacing the band element 7.1 and the roller need only be moved a relatively short distance by the hydraulic cylinder to the rolled product 8, so that advantageously a hydraulic cylinder having a relatively small stroke can be used.

Furthermore, the fourth side guide 7 has a braking device (likewise not shown), by which a displacement of its band element 7.1 is blocked. This advantageously improves the force transmission of the transverse force generated by the transverse force device 9 to the rolled product 8.

The transverse force device 9 is attached to an end section, facing the roll stand 2, of the fourth side guide 7 at a defined distance just downstream of the roll gap of the roll stand 2. This means the transverse force generated by the transverse force device 9 can advantageously be applied very precisely and to large regions of the rolled product 8, since only sections of the rolled product 8 at its beginning and end, the extensions of which correspond in the X-direction to the distance between the roll gap and the transverse force device 9, cannot be influenced by the transverse force. In particular, the transverse force device 9 can, because of its small size, be disposed nearer to the roll gap of the roll stand 2 than the compressive device 3.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of an asymmetrical rolled product 8 before it is processed in the rolling train 1. The thickness of the rolled product 8 decreases in the Y-direction, so that the cross-section is wedge-shaped. A rolled product 8 such as this can advantageously be processed in the rolling train 1 depicted in FIG. 1.

To this end the rolled product 8 is entered into the rolling train 1 such that its thinner side is oriented to the side of the rolling train 1 to which the fourth side guide 7 with the transverse force device 9 is attached. If the rollers 2.1 are not pivoted against one another in the X-direction, then as a result of the inhomogeneous thickness of the rolled product 8 thicker regions of the rolled product 8 experience a greater elongation in the roll stand 2 than originally thinner regions. In consequence, without the use of a transverse force downstream of the roll stand 2 the rolled product 8 would buckle downward on the side of the rolling train 1 on which the fourth side guide 7 is disposed. This buckling can be prevented or at least reduced by the transmission of a transverse force onto the rolled product 8 by the transverse force device 9. In particular the transverse force device 9 enables a force to act on the rolled product 8 at a defined location of the rolling train 1 and thus a very precise adjustment of the torque exerted by the transverse force on the rolled product 8 and the resulting load spread in the roll gap of the roll stand 2.

In order to process several asymmetrical rolled products 8 in a rolling train 1 depicted in FIG. 1, the rolled products 8 are pre-sorted before entering the rolling train 1, so that in each case their thinner sides are oriented toward the same side of the rolling train 1 on which the fourth side guide 7 with the transverse force device 9 is disposed.

The exemplary embodiment described above can be modified such that the force generating unit 9.1 is designed as a pneumatic cylinder or a mechanically-electrically driven screw. Furthermore, several or all side guides 4, 5, 6, 7 can each be fitted with a transverse force device 9, in particular if a rolling train 1 does not include a compressive device 3.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention covered by the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004). 

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A side guide for a rolling train that rolls a thickness of a rolled product as the rolled product is guided through the rolling train along a transporting path, the rolled product having a width direction perpendicular to a thickness direction, the side guide comprising: a band element having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the transporting path, for at least partial lateral delimitation of the transporting path, so as to limit movement in the width direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the band element; and a transverse force device attached to the band element, the transverse force device comprising: a force generating unit to generate a transverse force parallel to the width direction and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band element; and a force transmitting unit coupled to the force generating unit to transmit the transverse force to the rolled product guided through the rolling train.
 15. The side guide as claimed in claim 14, wherein the force transmitting unit is a roller with a roller longitudinal axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band element, to the width direction and to a direction of the transverse force.
 16. The side guide as claimed in claim 15, wherein the roller is mounted so as to rotate about the roller longitudinal axis.
 17. The side guide as claimed in claim 14, wherein the force generating unit is a hydraulic cylinder acting on the force transmitting unit.
 18. The side guide as claimed in claim 14, wherein the force generating unit is a pneumatic cylinder acting on the force transmitting unit.
 19. The side guide as claimed in claim 14, wherein the force generating unit is a mechanically-electrically driven screw acting on the force transmitting unit.
 20. The side guide as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: a drive device to displace the band element parallel to the transverse force and the width direction.
 21. The side guide as claimed in claim 20, further comprising: a braking device to limit displacement of the band element parallel to the transverse force and the width direction.
 22. A rolling train comprising: a transporting path for guiding a rolled product; at least one roll stand that rolls a thickness of the rolled product as the rolled product is guided along the transporting path, the rolled product extending between opposing sides in a width direction perpendicular to a thickness direction; and at least one side guide disposed laterally on the transporting path, each side guide comprising: a band element having a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the transporting path, for at least partial lateral delimitation of the transporting path, so as to limit movement in the width direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the band element; and a transverse force device attached to the band element to exert a transverse force on the rolled product, the transverse force device comprising: a force generating unit to generate a transverse force parallel to the width direction and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the band element; and a force transmitting unit coupled to the force generating unit to transmit the transverse force to the rolled product guided through the rolling train.
 23. The rolling train as claimed in claim 22, wherein the transverse force device is disposed on an end section of the side guide directed to an adjacent roll stand.
 24. The rolling train as claimed in claim 22, wherein the rolled product extends between first and second opposing sides in the width direction, for each roll stand, there are at least first and second pairs of band elements, each pair of band elements comprising a first band element and a second band element disposed respectively on the first and second opposing sides of the rolled product when the rolled product is being rolled, and the first and second pairs of band elements are disposed along the transporting path, on different sides of the roll stand.
 25. The rolling train as claimed in claim 22, wherein each roll stand has a compressive device to reduce a width of the rolled product, the side guide being disposed on a side of the roll stand opposite the compressive device along the transporting path.
 26. The rolling train as claimed in claim 22, wherein the rolling train comprises a plurality of side guides, with all side guides being disposed on the same side of the transporting path. 